4 minor things you can do to become a more responsible citizen
20th April 2016
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According to a 2015 government survey just under a third (32%) of people had a very strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. The proportion of people who were ‘very satisfied’ with their local area as a place to live was 43%.
Police are the backbone of our community, and although they may hold our community together in many ways it’s often hard to understand where the line is drawn. If your area is particularly run down or unmaintained or maybe there’s a sense of social disconnection in the area - but whose responsibly is it to sort it out?
The easy option is to blame the authorities; it’s disconcerting when we feel nothing is being done for us. But let’s put the situation into perspective. It’s about time each and every one of us took responsibility. Let’s face it, if the police put all their time and energy into creating a tidy, pleasant community with positive attitudes to follow suit, there would be a gaping whole in the system. We need our authorities to keep our streets safe and deal with the hard hitting crime that really does ruin communities.
So whose responsibility is it then? It’s yours. And mine. It’s ours. Together we can put our communities in our own hands and change them for the better. All we need is a sense of autonomy to do the right thing for the sake of ourselves and those around us. The ‘it’s not my job’ attitude is detrimental to our communities and it needs to stop now.
If you’re sick of seeing litter in your roads, pick it up.
If you notice your elderly neighbour’s hedge is overgrown, offer to cut it for them.
If you’re fed up with kids loitering in the streets, why not volunteer to help clean up the local parks or youth centres so that the community is a more inhabitable place for everyone?
Here are a few simple pointers to help you engage with your community in a positive way.
Be forward-thinking
Police are the backbone of our community, and although they may hold our community together in many ways it’s often hard to understand where the line is drawn. If your area is particularly run down or unmaintained or maybe there’s a sense of social disconnection in the area - but whose responsibly is it to sort it out?
The easy option is to blame the authorities; it’s disconcerting when we feel nothing is being done for us. But let’s put the situation into perspective. It’s about time each and every one of us took responsibility. Let’s face it, if the police put all their time and energy into creating a tidy, pleasant community with positive attitudes to follow suit, there would be a gaping whole in the system. We need our authorities to keep our streets safe and deal with the hard hitting crime that really does ruin communities.
So whose responsibility is it then? It’s yours. And mine. It’s ours. Together we can put our communities in our own hands and change them for the better. All we need is a sense of autonomy to do the right thing for the sake of ourselves and those around us. The ‘it’s not my job’ attitude is detrimental to our communities and it needs to stop now.
If you’re sick of seeing litter in your roads, pick it up.
If you notice your elderly neighbour’s hedge is overgrown, offer to cut it for them.
If you’re fed up with kids loitering in the streets, why not volunteer to help clean up the local parks or youth centres so that the community is a more inhabitable place for everyone?
Here are a few simple pointers to help you engage with your community in a positive way.
Be forward-thinking
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